Good evening!

I did yoga and my chores, built a fire and kept it going all day (21 outside, 72 inside), did two more than my goal of evaluations, dropped off a bag of trash, went to the grocery store, put the groceries away, went to the feed store, ran a load of laundry, unloaded and partially loaded the dishwasher, cleaned up part of the playroom, did chores again and set up the coffee maker for tomorrow.

The house is basically status quo.

I need to do lesson plans, pack my swim bag and lunch and dinner snacks, and do yoga and chores again before I leave for school tomorrow. The lesson plans and packing I could do tonight. We'll see. Tomorrow is not quite as full as yesterday, but I have to leave school earlier to swim because the pool closes earlier, so I won't have time to work on evaluations before I go.

Good morning.

There is now snow in the evening forecast. Just light "showers" but it is supposed to rain off and on during the day as well and freeze before the snow. I am still tired and don't want to drive home in that in the dark after teaching and swimming. So I'm going to skip swimming today. That also means I have less to do to get ready this morning.

I feel like I have been pushing really hard with little to show for it. The best thing about my schedule change next year is that I will have a maximum of 68 evaluations to do because some of my classes meet 2x a week. This year I have 81. If all of my classes were full, that would have been 92. I average about three an hour.

I want to be ordering my garden seeds, working on my basement, doing work for my pottery class, spending time with my grandsons, baking, and resting. I can't relax with the evaluations hanging over my head. Also, I resent them so much I waste a lot of time avoiding them.

More on topic, I read an article referencing an author that claims there are only 5 types of things in any room. Trash, dishes, laundry, things with a place and things without a place. And that you just tackle them one at a time. She forgot "things that need to be repaired and things that need to be washed" or maybe she believes that I have a place for those, or that they are things without a place even if I have a place they could go if they were clean or fixed. Also, clearly she doesn't understand how thoroughly those categories of things can get churned together and how you can have places for things but not be able to reach those places to put them away. Anyway, it wasn't helpful, because 90% of the mess in my house is caused by more things than places. But I feel like 90% of my clean up time is spent on trash, dishes, laundry, and things with places. Which I guess is why progress is so slow.

hi all. Today is the first day in a week and a half that I woke up and felt pretty okay and not sick. Yay, hopefully this is the turning point!

Messi, wow, you fixed the water heater?? I would have zero idea how to do anything. I understand that you got internet help but what did you have to do once you got the cover off? Just getting the cover off would stress me out! I am so glad you got it fixed, wow. I need to take a lesson from you, since my youngest son moved out yesterday and soon TotsFam will move out and I won't just be able to say "hey can you fix this for me?"

SubC, you still are chugging along, even if most of it is not things without a place. I agree that 5 things analysis is extremely simplified and only helpful to people with a completely normal organized home and no issues with keeping stuff.

I have not gotten much extra cleaning or decluttering done while I was sick, but I managed to take care of laundry and dishes yesterday. I am very far behind on work stuff and have a long list and not sure where to start, so this morning I will make myself some breakfast and then use a highlighter to mark the top items to get done today and tomorrow. I have that speaking engagement in just one week!!! and am not prepared at all, plus my boss asked me to take over and teach his class this week !!! and I have to create my own lesson plan (he just gave me a topic). So those two things are the work priority.. but not sure what the home priorities are. Probably vacuuming is one.

Hope to check in later!

Good afternoon!

Lila I am so glad you are feeling better. And I am super excited by the idea of you having an entire empty bedroom! What will you do with it? Designate a purpose and carefully add only those things related to the purpose? Use it as a sorting room so that you can get through every single item in your bedroom and then maybe the little bedroom that has become a storage room? Leave it empty and just go in there are close the door when you are overwhelmed? So many choices..

If it were me, I might start by cleaning every single surface and painting if needed. Well, I wouldn't paint if it was going to be my sorting room..

I have finished my evaluations!

Next hurdle - quarterly sales taxes.

Dh and I are going out again tonight, but I am thinking about working in the basement for a bit before I need to get ready. I started a load of laundry.

New thing on my plate - yesterday the seniors asked me to speak at graduation. They always choose two teachers. I have never been asked before, although once I was asked before the nomination process and said "thank you, I love that you would choose me, but also I am not a person who voluntarily speaks to large groups."

This time I said "I am deeply honored to be asked, but also terrified. Can I have some time to think about it?" But the more I thought about it, the more I thought about all the times I have asked these kids to do hard things. So I sent a note accepting. Now I have 4.5 months to write a three minute speech. (I asked Dh what he thought I should talk about, and he said "three minutes." Smart Alec!)

Anyway, I'm currently enjoying the lower stress of having the evaluations done. We'll see where I go from here.

Good evening.

I did my homework for class tomorrow.

I met Dd at the pottery studio and she brought me some empty bins and some packing material for my pottery classes. I took her a bulletin board. I also found three things in my basement to give my farm sitter.

On my way home from class I stopped at the thrift store. I bought three new pairs of jeans (which I needed!) For a bit over $7.50 each after tax. There will be some well worn jeans going out. I also bought a cashmere sweater duster. It was so soft, I couldn't leave it. It came out under $6 after tax (my whole bill was 28.85) the duster had a run from the shoulder down the back, which I have already fixed with a crochet hook and a piece of anchoring thread. I modeled it for Dh and he really liked it. He said "you realize that is probably a $300 sweater?" I don't understand people who would just donate something so nice when it is so easy to fix. But I am happy!

The jeans are washed and in the drier. I need to do chores and set up coffee and will probably just putter around this evening. We had frozen egg rolls for dinner.

Tomorrow is a boy day.

Good evening.

It has been a long, hard day. I did not do a lot of the things I planned to do that were fun. Or prep for school tomorrow.

But I kept the fires going (low of 7 today, but cozy in the house.) I did a load of dishes, I washed my new cardigan, And I made progress on the house and on me.

I sorted out some office supplies - slow and tedious. A little recycling, a small pile for donation to the reuse store, some things to go to school, a handful of trash, like with like.

And I opened a cupboard. There were things in the cupboard I forgot I had. It was a cupboard of stomach aches. I cried. I called my mom. I cried some more. And tonight my Dd left with a box of fancy things that I got for wedding gifts and basically never used. And never wanted. But they were "valuable", and the people who gave them to me loved me and wanted me to be happy. I moved those things around with me and felt responsible for them for 35 years. And now those people are all gone. And I miss them. Dd is taking the things to a place that will sell them and use the money to help people with cancer.

Dh said "all those things ever did was make you sad." And I said I know. And I am sad because the people who gave them to me wanted me to be happy. So they gave me things that made me sad, because they thought they would make me happy. Which makes me sad. He told me I don't make any sense, but he is glad the things are gone because they won't make me sad any more.

Also I have some other things to go to the thrift store. I will go update the tally again.

Good morning.
It is getting lonely here.

I made it through yesterday.

Classes went fine, I dropped a bag of garbage when I got gasoline, removed some random bits and pieces from my house. I fired the kiln, but I didn't swim, or even do yoga.

I have been letting all of my good habits slide this week. I feel like I can manage my stuff, or I can manage my life, but not both.

That is part of the reason I really want to buckle down and finish the basement this year. But I feel like it just gets harder the deeper I go. When I started - only three weeks ago?! I figured that if I could get rid of one bin of stuff each month, everything would at least fit without piles on the floor. Now I'm realizing it's more like two bins a month - net, the net is important, and I cannot imagine how I am going to do this.

One of the things I got rid of on my crying day was a thing a relative made. My mom told me to just give it away and I said "I feel bad, because she put so much work into it. And my mom said "I know, I have this other thing that she made that I don't even use anymore"(big memory from my childhood) I said "I WANT that!" I'll trade you this for it. She told me a part was worn out, and I said "I can fix it." (I can) She wouldn't take the trade, but I will be getting the thing. It's a Christmas thing. I'm not counting it in until I bring it home.

Today I need to do work for my class I am taking and file sales tax and water my plants before they die and order my seeds or I will have no garden.

I have not done any of those things yet.
And we are supposed to get a ton of snow this weekend, so if i don't go down to the studio to do work I won't be ready for class on Monday (I need equipment that is down there.)

But I do not want to drive anywhere.

I brought a plastic three drawer (5 gallons?)container full of random little stuff upstairs and sat in the sun and worked on sorting it out for four hours. I was very brave and recycled and threw away things that I "might use for crafts" or "might be able to fix". I was not brave enough to dump the whole drawer in a trash bag. I put a bunch of little toys and magnets and kid jewelry in a gallon bag to donate (think gumball machine)

I didn't finish one of the smaller drawers (about a gallon of little stuff?) I just couldn't do it any longer.

I also put some stuff in a box to take to school, and added a few things to my donate pile.

Most of what is going is too small to count, but i am giving myself credit for 9 including one hard thing I threw in the trash.

SubC!! You are here all by yourself, all week! I am sorry I could not check in. I thought about you, believe it or not.

The cabinet of stomach aches, ahhh! That is sooo hard, I have spaces full of stomach aches too and it is the hardest thing. And it was touching to hear about the gifts you dragged around for years that made you sad. I am going to remember that as I sort my own stomach aches. God bless you SubC, it is hard.

May I encourage you about your speech? I am happy that you accepted the challenge. We all need to stretch a bit, don't we? I am also NOT a public speaker, in fact, the first time my work (then volunteer) asked me to get up in front of people and speak for like 2 minutes, I said yes but was stressed out and upset and regretting it right up until I did it, and then I was proud of myself. Fast forward, let's see, it's been maybe 7 years - and tomorrow I am speaking for 25 minutes. And this week I taught my boss' class (!!!!!! I could not believe he asked me to do that with 6 days notice, from scratch, no lesson plan, just a topic!) and 'lectured' for 45 minutes, my own notes and handouts, all research done by me. It was a real stretch but I really am proud of myself for doing it and helping him out, as he was going to be gone and did not have time to write up a lesson plan, and he said I was the only person he knows who could do it from scratch on such short notice and do a good job. Still somewhat out of my comfort zone, but doing things out of our comfort zone makes us stronger, even in other areas.

So I worked (including a lot of volunteer) 50-55 hours this week.

As for the newly empty bedroom (yes, Son is moved out, I gave him all the furniture, the only thing he left is the queen mattress and box springs), it is empty, which makes me a strange mix of happy and sad. I had plans for it. But, TotsDad came to talk to me the other day. He and dil and their five kids are all sleeping in one room. It is insanely loud and chaotic at night trying to get them all to sleep - it takes hours. He asked me if there is any way he could put bunk beds in there for the oldest 2, to give the kids space from each other so they can go to sleep easier. He said he would just want one end for the beds, nothing else. I thought about this, it is a long narrow room, but if I put any of my things in there, the kids will get into them.

So I proposed this. You can have the whole room, IF you move anything that is yours out of my office downstairs (which is just storage and exercise stuff) AND use one side of the room to store some of YOUR things that are currently making the garage completely a wreck (I literally cannot access ANY of my things in there and there is not room for me to move a single item into there). He agreed and will get rid of a large piece of furniture in the garage he doesn't want anymore, will move a lot of tubs of his stuff from the garage to the new bedroom, until I am satified that I can access ALL of my own things in the garage AND I have the office for my own use.

This is a win win, I think. We will both be happy when it is done (I think dil has hoarder tendencies as the garage has literal totes full of shoes, clothes, etc that no one has touched in almost 2 years).

Back later to check in!

thank you for posting. I'm having a hard time getting to the posts, and a harder time posting.

SubC - thank you for your courage to open a cupboard and turn a stomach-ache into help for someone with cancer. and kudos for so much persistence in chasing after those plastic drawers-full.

Lila - congratulations on the empty room and your Brilliant considerate solution for its use.

I have not gotten to much. I did buy some paper yard-waste bags to put clothing etc. in to go to donation.

It is late. It is cold here, in the negative digits. I am hoping my heat does not go out tonight. or my hot water, lol

Good morning!
I am so glad to see you both!

Lila, I believe you thought about me. When no one posts, I imagine you all (even people who haven't been around for a while and some I have not met) listening quietly, like we are all sitting in a room somewhere and heads are nodding, and there's just this moment of silence before someone speaks.

I think your choice about the room was good. Your son's family is too crowded! Hopefully the extra space will make the kids better rested, less stressed, and therefor calmer. Also, a big piece of furniture is leaving! Even if it is not your furniture, that should help.

And if you can reach your bins, maybe you can access some older ones and find you don't need everything in them anymore.

Messi, I hope you are warm and have hot water and all is going well. Be careful not to let the bags become more clutter. You can donate things in whatever bags your groceries came in. Really. I promise, the place you are donating to will take them. They will take loose armloads from the back of your car.

I am home for the next three days. The boys are probably not coming because of snowmageddon. I should be able to get a lot done and really feel rested, but last night I started coming down with the nasty cold Dh brought home from work. 🙁 I am just going to lean into cozy with lots of fluids and whatever I feel like doing.

hi SubC and messi! I hope you are both warm and safe. SubC, I too imagine us together as a quiet group. A lovely thought that makes me feel not alone in my decluttering struggle over the years. And I also hope you feel better soon.

I have to work today, at least a few hours, but from home. But this morning I got some things done.

- vacuumed. I am 75% done. I realized something as I was doing this. Son who moved out has been the "vacuumer" for many years. I would just use a stick vac to do touch ups like getting balls of hair off the floor in between. Well, pushing that very heavy old vacuum around is exhausting. I did not do an "excellent" job, I am wiped out just from vacuuming the living room and hallway. Like totally drained. I still need to do the dining room and my bedroom but there is no way I can do the stairs today.

Question: do you think it is justified (is it ok?) for my to buy a new vacuum that is a lot lighter and more maneuverable at this point? I spent 2 days taking this old big vacuum apart, cleaning it, got a new hose for it for about $20, but yet it is leaving a lot of hair on the carpet even going over it several times. It weighs 21 pounds and does not have any swiveling or rotating so it is hard to turn. I was thinking about getting a new one, which would be a lot lighter and swivel and probably get the hair up better. Thoughts? I am only considering this because Son moved out and I have to vaccuum now.

I also took care of dishes, sorted and cleaned one kitchen drawer, brushed the dogs.

p.s., I bought the old vacuum around 2013 and it was refurbished.

Good evening, good morning.

Lila - I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well. Yet you persevere. I hope it's better today.

SubC - congrats on doing the list and the work you've done on evaluations. I appreciate your lists. Sunday I had a list-less day (excuse pun) so nothing on the house got done (did lots of unexpected people things- good). Reading your lists encourages me.

************

I do not know what I would do without the internet. Well, I know many things would be more difficult and I wouldn't have met you all and that would be a shame. life more difficult.

Tonight's internet help:
I have been having appliance meltdown this month, lol. My microwave and radio went down, and today it was the water heater. When these things happen, it is a frustration and inconvenience but it can also make me laugh because I feel like I'm being given an opportunity to appreciate things and take care of something I was neglecting and to try something new. Ex: when my dog has an accident or I spill something, it is an opportunity to clean the floor which had been neglected. Without the microwave, now i get out the hot plate and pots and kettle. I appreciate this kind of cooking. It happens in a different time frame. I also appreciate the time and fewer dishes to clean that the microwave afforded me.
So, on to the water heater. Every day i count the blessing of water and warm water. Today I was running late and was soaped up in the shower when the water went cold. Rinsing was frigid, but at least i had water. I rushed on with my day. We had a snowstorm and it took 2 hours to get home from work. I wished i could take a hot shower, but i was not prepared to call a repair person because of the condition of the house. Remorse. It took me til 1:00 am to get up enough courage to go online and read and view enough water heater videos to take the cover off my water heater and troubleshoot. I now have hot water, at least for the moment. I LOVE the luxury of hot water and I appreciate the miracle of the internet and the generosity of people who post online. Thank you all!

***********
on the list - get to bed earlier

Good morning Messi (and all)

I love your pun. That is how I feel too, my list-less days tend to become listless. Or perhaps it's because I am feeling listless that I go list-less.

Today it was very hard to get up. I slept in a little and would have stayed in bed a lot longer, but my husband asked me to get up and make him breakfast. (Making him breakfast is a normal thing I do every day and I almost never skip a weekday, so he counts on it - if I had stayed in bed he would have had to eat less healthy cold cereal or granola bars because he did not have time to cook. It's 27 degrees out and he has an hour drive to work because I wanted to live on a farm. Sending him off with a hot breakfast doesn't seem like a big ask. I am usually up an hour before him.)

I'm not sick or anything, just tired from yesterday and my bed was cozy.

Messi, it sounds like your messy house SAVED you money. I'm glad you have hot water and I hope the hot water heater keeps working.

I have goofed around on the internet too long.

Time to do yoga and chores, get the fire going, and start some evaluations. I will be back.

Hi everyone! Messi I hope you feel better soon! I had my flu shot last fall and I've been wearing masks but none of this is foolproof. And this year's version sounds extra yucky. Glad you could order what you need.

SubC,we will live somewhere when we retire. He has a huge house overseas in the mountains (deliberately being vague) and I expect we will live in a very small place in Paris or London for part of the year. I will need a walkable city with public transportation. I'd love to end up in Switzerland but we will not have the money for that. I think we will need two places since I won't be able to stay anywhere for more than half a year. I need to figure out how this will work immigration wise. He'll have it somewhat easier because he has dual citizenship (neither are US). I have single US citizenship. I should get working on this.

So I'm working on further downsizing my stuff. Some of it just requires the discipline of sitting down and starting! How I ended up where I started - I used to be so good at this! I still am pretty advanced as to not bringing stuff in and making decisions but these days my motivation to get started is lagging behind.

I haven't been keeping up with laundry, which is out of character for me. I was doing so great about going to the laundromat when our machine was on the fritz and for some reason now with the new machine, I'm not doing laundry the way I used to. I'm thinking of just going to the laundromat tomorrow and getting a large hunk of it done. I'm limited by what I can carry but I'll be doing a lot at once. Plus I read my kindel so it is twice as relaxing. By the way I love our new machine here. Much less fancy and I'm very happy with it. Need to remind myself how soothing I find it to do laundry.

Hello, and kudos!

You all have kept at it, in spite of feeling not-so-motivated.

SubC - I hope you had a good evening and concert. You did many somethings today, and a great something in tackling the evaluations. bravo!

Lila - you just didn't let go of that freezer, in spite of being under the weather. Great work!

I have had a week of low motivation and feeling like I'm not getting anywhere. First not making a list, and then making one and ignoring it... it sort of turned into a list of things I am NOT doing, lol. Sometimes, though, I amend my list by adding on the things that I did INSTEAD of what was on the original list and checking those off. It helps me evaluate a bigger picture - some of the added things might be things that came up unexpectedly, were important to do, or maybe were just avoidance distractions... maybe it helps just to be able to check SOMETHING off.

Something added into the schedule this week were some movement classes taught by a friend. They focus on range-of-motion, balance, flexibility and getting your heart rate moving safely. They were terrific so i am going to try to organize the time to continue going. Putting it on the list.

Good morning!

It's nice to see everybody here.

Lila, good job on the vacuum and the freezer! I advocated Messi's plan of putting them on the list. Both are progress! Sometimes you just need to make a "done" list instead of a "to do" list.

Tatoulia, you may find that some things matter enough to ship to that "huge house in the mountains" (or you may not) but I think you have reached a pretty good place with your stuff management - remember that you only have to worry about what fits your life right now., not what will fit your life someday.

I laughed a little bit about you being limited by what you can carry but also "doing a lot at once" on the laundry. I have a farm sized washing machine. "What I can carry" is pretty much one load. This might be why I get so behind on putting the laundry away - even one load can look like an overwhelming task.

Currently it is running because I have no clean jeans and need something I can wear out to the barn to do chores. (Although it is supposed to be very cold today, I might just throw my quilted carharts on over my long John's.

"The discipline of sitting down and starting" is my downfall.

Messi, I think it's great that you are doing the movement classes. Your body is the vehicle that allows your mind to do things, so keeping it in good shape with exercise, rest, and healthy food is the foundation for everything else.

Dh and I did have a nice time at the concert last night. The pianist was fantastic and bit was nice to get away from the house and just enjoy the music with no other options pressing on me.

I want to get the fire started soon (well, I want to have the fire started, and Cinderella's mice have not done it)

I've been doing well with my little habits, but yesterday I forgot to take my vitamins - which matters because they are doctor ordered for anemia and vision loss prevention, not "well, these are probably good for me".

Here is my list for today (I hope you guys don't mind these, it is currently helping me to have them here.)

2 loads of laundry (one is started)
Start fire (and keep it going)
Yoga
Chores
Update calendar
Take out compost
Measure some things in the barn with Dh for some work we are thinking about
Evaluations (I have a mental number goal but don't want to write it down)
Get some things together in my studio and go to the city studio to do my homework
Vacuum the playroom
Evening chores

It's a lot.
My homework might not get done.

Wow, lots of posts! So happy!

Tatoulia, so nice to hear a good update! How long before you get to retire? As far as laundry, I have built a habit of doing laundry every Friday. I only do it also on Saturday if I have extra loads. Then I don't have to think about it all week.

messi, I think we all struggle with motivation! and like you, I make a list and then cross things off. When I do other things and nothing gets crossed off, I find it frustrating. But I am coming here and postin what I DID do - like cleaning the vacuum and clearing out the freezer - that was not on the list. and will sometimes add them and cross them off like you and SubC suggested! Today I will try to do some list things.

SubC, yes, a done list! I may do that. I may start a fire today as well. Son brought up logs for me a few days ago. Good job making and posting a list for accountability!

I stayed home to finish getting better today. I plan to go to work tomorrow. I watched worship service on tv and made myself a pancake and some blueberry sauce from blueberries out of the freezer.

I also took the freezer packs out of the bag. Some had blue stuff on them, so I washed them. I threw one out because it looked like it has to be 30 or more years old and gross on the inside.

Goals for today:
- try one last time to get the roller bar cover on the vacuum open. I can see junk in there I can't reach, so I am going to try using some different tools.
- in the afternoon, put the vacuum back together and try it out, and vacuum the dog pen
- finish sorting the freezer packs and either donate or find a home for them
- cook and food prep

I also decided to make a written inventory of what is left in the downstairs freezer. I want the list so I can plan to use those foods all up. Mostly it is vegetables. There are some fruits and a few other items.

I will check back in later.

Well, I decided not to do my homework. I will just have to do whatever I can at class tomorrow and try to catch up later in the week. As a result, I have just finished my minimum goal for the day for evaluations, while:
Doing yoga and morning chores
Keeping the fire going
Washing and drying two loads of laundry and putting one away
Loading the dishwasher
Vacuuming the playroom
Updating the calendar
Doing the measuring and
Taking out the compost.

If I had also driven down to do my homework and then returned to do the same number of evaluations, it would now be 8:30. Instead it is 5:30 and I am relaxing for a bit while Dh makes dinner again. He is a really good husband.

I remembered my vitamins this morning, but forgot to brush my teeth. (At this point I'll just wait until bedtime.)

I do have a few goals besides evening chores for after dinner, but we'll see. I could stop here.

I have been cleaning up and recycling papers as I go on the evaluations, so no mess to deal with.

How did your day go Lila?

Wow! Everybody's working!

I may have misspoke when I sent my get well wishes - I thought Messi was ill but it appears you are ill, Lila. Sending you my best wishes

I took my front window wreaths down so I can take them out back tomorrow night. I did just now start a laundry but someone had left their laundry (and boy did they over stuff the washer) and so I put it in the dryer. My laundry will be done tomorrow morning washing well in advance if their laundry drying but I had to start somewhere.

I slept rather late today and had a massage scheduled, so didn't get anything else done. Yet.

Okay going to transfer my sheets into a bag while I wait for the other person's stuff to dry. In the meantime I'll wash some delicates that I can hang to dry.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, I'm glad you got your laundry done.

I ended up mostly just showering and relaxing after dinner and chores. I'm working on balance in my life. I brushed my teeth.

I did find a small bin of tree blocks in the basement hoard, wash the lid, and move it out to the playroom. I could have had them out for Bean three years ago, but I'm doing my best. He isn't too big for them yet.

Today is a day with the boys. My list is simple:
Yoga
Chores
Load stuff for class into my car
Boys arrive
Enjoy and care for boys
Take boys home - get gas and drop trash
Dinner at Bean's house
Class
Chores
Bed

Tomorrow I will set goals again.

That's a big list! Subc, gently, do not upset yourself because the blocks weren't available to Bean earlier. He's having a beautiful childhood and just a very careful reminder that even if you never found them, his childhood would be remarkable by anyone's measure. So there are things that can be donated or repurpose (Not these, just in general) with no ill effect on anyone. Telling myself this, as much as you!

Okay I only got one load of laundry done last night because the laundry room was very popular. I dry to WFH today and my towels are in the dryer and my fleeces and indoor fleece pants are in the washer. Up next: cat blankets although it's really cat blanket now that I just have the one cat. I'll have a substitute while it's washing but she will miss the stinky one, I'm sure.

Good morning!

Tatoulia, thank you for the kind words. I know kids are happier with rocks and sticks and an adult who is genuinely interested in them than with any toy in the world, and Bean is spoiled with toys, but I still get annoyed when I find things and realize I saved them so long and missed the window that made it worth doing.

The tree blocks (and the toy trolls) barely got a glance, but the newly out dress up box with ds's old hard hat in it was a hit, and the toy periscope was exactly the right timing. He got really excited and asked to take it home. (And of course I said yes).

Is your kitty the type who loves a fresh, fluffy blanket, or will she be annoyed that it is no longer stinky?

I did all the things on my list yesterday. Plus I wrote some thank you notes (two more to be done, so will try to squeeze that in today) And I threw out a pair of adorable, beloved, but well used and leaky boots with the trash. Bean enjoyed them. Boots don't last forever. Buddy does not need cute boots that leak.

Dinner at Bean's house was yummy and fun - heartdaughter and her wife came over and there was much hilarity with the periscope. And my class was good, but I got home late and both wound up and exhausted. Didn't get to bed until 11 and slept badly, so here it is almost 8 and I am still on the couch with my coffee!

I am not going to post today's list. I know it is too long.

hi all, just a brief update.

I did get all the things done in my list on Sunday. I went to work yesterday and got exhausted. Today I am trying to work from home but have a bad headache.

I did go through my upstairs freezer this morning (I finished the big downstairs one and made an inventory the other day). I re-organized the food in the upstairs freezer, which is the small type on top of the fridge. I found 3 things to take out and thaw to eat - soup, cooked apples, and a tamale. There is quite a bit of good food in there for me to start eating.

I did throw out a small box of things that were either too old or contain meat and no one will want. So now it is easy to find everything I want in there.

Now I am working on consolidating my work planners. I de-coiled 3 of them and are putting the pages together and threw out a lot of old pages. I probably do need to keep these planners, but consolidating will help, and I am not going to buy this kind anymore. Having one per year is just too much, so I hope to find a 3 or 5 year planner next time.

Lila, good job on the freezer and the planners.

I'm Not feeling great about my day, but trying not to beat myself up. I won't list the things I didn't do, but we'll just say I forgot/skipped a bunch of basics - didn't even brush my hair until after dinner.

I did almost meet my evaluation goal
Do my chores
Finish my thank you notes
And unload my car.

I also worked in the basement a little and found 8 things to get rid of. 5 packs of bulletin board border to go to school, a plaster cast of ds footprints in sand when he was a baby (they didn't come out well, but I have held on to them all these years thinking I would do something with them.) a sentimental coloring book, and a large knitting basket.

Good morning!

Gave myself an extra hour of sleep this morning, so I'm more rushed but more rested.

I left filling and running the dishwasher off my done list yesterday.

So, here we go again, very full day:
Yoga
Chores
Lesson plans (almost done)
Pack lunch/snacks/swim bag
Drop off recycling
Take bulletin board borders to office supply closet
Unload kiln
Teach - including getting fill in notes for some evaluations
About an hour putting notes into evaluations (all the time I have in the schedule)
Swim
Chores

Off I go.

good morning,

I'm not feeling well. I was not feeling well yesterday and got very little done. Just got my planners re-coiled and put away. But I feel sick.

I have an event tonight and I really need to be there if I am functional. I took this morning off to stay home and rest to try and go work tonight. Will see how it goes. I am getting really behind on work.

update -

I took another full grocery bag of old food out of the big freezer to the bin outside, also emptied the vacuum when I did that. And I brought up a full grocery bag of ice packs and such, which are sitting on my table to sort.

Hey it's something!

Good evening.

Lila, I hope you feel better and your evening work turned out ok.

I did all the things on the list.

I have another too long list for tomorrow, so I will make a "done" list. I may try to work on the basement some more.